Trout Fishing Guide: 94 Lakes by Water Quality

Trout species like Trout need cold, oxygen-rich water year-round — that constraint limits Trout to 94 lakes in the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers, mostly the deeper or spring-fed basins. Trout is narrowly distributed — only 94 lakes in Wisconsin have a documented record. The constraint is usually habitat: cold water, specific depth profile, or river connection.

Trout presence is itself a water-quality signal: a the United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs. LakeQuality covers lake that supports a Trout population is almost certainly running cold enough and oxygenated enough to also support healthier overall water quality. Trout-supporting lakes almost always carry low nutrient and algae readings, because the cold, deep, well-oxygenated conditions trout need produce clear, low-phosphorus water almost as a side effect.

Trout Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Coldwater species that need clean, cold, oxygen-rich water; spawn timing varies by species. Forage: Insects, invertebrates, and baitfish. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow-to-mid 3–15 ft	nearshore and inflows while water is cold	spoons, spinners, flies, bait
Summer	deep near thermocline	cold, oxygenated depths	trolling deep; low-light shallow windows
Fall	shallow-to-mid 3–20 ft	cooling water brings them up	spoons, spinners, flies
Winter / Ice	5–25 ft	clear lakes / stocked ice fishery	small jigs, spoons, bait

Clear-water tactics:spoons, spinners & flies, light linenatural presentationsStained-water tactics:brighter spoons — but trout favor clear, cold water

Total Lakes

Wisconsin lakes →

53 ft

Avg. Depth

Best Trout Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with trout, ranked on nutrient and algae readings.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Depth	Species
1	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	236 ft	7
2	Geneva Lake	Walworth	WI	135 ft	6
3	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	105 ft	7
4	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	56 ft	6
5	Malone Lake	Shawano	WI	31 ft	3
6	Lake Noquebay	Marinette	WI	51 ft	6
7	Beaver Dam Lake	Barron	WI	106 ft	6
8	Silver Lake	Barron	WI	91 ft	6
9	Mirror Lake	Waupaca	WI	43 ft	4
10	Deep Lake	Adams	WI	49 ft	4
11	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	WI	47 ft	6
12	Clear Lake	Oneida	WI	95 ft	6
13	Lake Lucerne	Forest	WI	73 ft	6
14	Long Lake	Waupaca	WI	76 ft	7
15	Rock Lake	Kenosha	WI	33 ft	3
16	Crescent Lake	Polk	WI	43 ft	2
17	Wolf Lake	Adams	WI	58 ft	4
18	Lake Emily	Portage	WI	35 ft	5
19	Jordan Lake	Adams	WI	92 ft	5
20	Squash Lake	Oneida	WI	74 ft	6
21	Bahr Lake	Shawano	WI	44 ft	4
22	Thunder Lake	Marinette	WI	62 ft	3
23	Krohns Lake	Kewaunee	WI	38 ft	3
24	Crystal Lake	Marquette	WI	60 ft	3
25	Stratton Lake	Waupaca	WI	42 ft	4
26	Wood Lake	Marquette	WI	53 ft	4
27	Horseshoe Lake	Manitowoc	WI	54 ft	4
28	Lower Nashotah Lake	Waukesha	WI	43 ft	6
29	Sunset Lake	Portage	WI	55 ft	3
30	Black Oak Lake	Vilas	WI	85 ft	6
31	Spring Lake	Manitowoc	WI	23 ft	4
32	Clark Lake	Door	WI	25 ft	6
33	Korth Lake	Shawano	WI	48 ft	4
34	Tozer Lake	Washburn	WI	53 ft	4
35	Moose Lake	Langlade	WI	20 ft	4
36	Moshawquit Lake	Menominee	WI	30 ft	4
37	Lost Lake	Florence	WI	45 ft	2
38	Columbia Lake	Waupaca	WI	72 ft	7
39	Shoe Lake	Manitowoc	WI	34 ft	4
40	Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	WI	119 ft	7
41	Lake Julia	Oneida	WI	45 ft	7
42	Clarey Lake	Polk	WI	49 ft	1
43	Tichigan Lake	Racine	WI	63 ft	7
44	West Alaska Lake	Kewaunee	WI	41 ft	3
45	Red Bass Lake	Vilas	WI	22 ft	3
46	Patten Lake	Florence	WI	52 ft	4
47	Springville Pond	Portage	WI	10 ft	3
48	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	WI	58 ft	6
49	Little Trout Lake	Vilas	WI	98 ft	6
50	Spring Lake	Portage	WI	42 ft	3

Showing top 50 of 94 lakes with trout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have trout?

Trout are documented in 94 lakes: 94 in Wisconsin.

What are the best lakes for trout?

The best trout lakes by water quality are Green Lake, Geneva Lake, Whitefish Lake, Ashegon Lake, Malone Lake. These lakes carry the lowest nutrient and algae readings among all lakes where trout have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with trout?

Trout are most commonly found alongside panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Trout Lakes

Panfish Lakes

Found together in 90 lakes · 1,090 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 88 lakes · 2,489 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 55 lakes · 2,386 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 38 lakes · 1,884 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 33 lakes · 871 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 16 lakes · 385 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality readings from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.